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Outer golems appear vaguely as pockmarked tortoise shells made of rough, porous stone. Deep within artistically crafted crevices and holes one can see the glint of faintly glowing greenish metal. In certain particularly large, deep holes however something roils unpleasantly before oozing out and hardening into thick tentacles to support its weight and feel about.

Outer golems are a complete enigma, falling unpredictably upon certain areas, usually cities, and then destroying every last shred of its existence and population before simply vanishing. Many even call them Heaven's Wrath, and fear that they are sent from the gods as ultimate punishment. Others venture they were made by an ancient race for protections. A small amount of others fear it is something even more insidious, that these are carefully planned attacks of some otherworldly intelligence of which even the gods are unaware. Such is likely the case they believe as the gods can never answer a single question about the things.

Outer golems emit an eerie whine that changes in pitch and modulation, but if it is a language none have yet deciphered it. Outter golems weigh 80,000 lbs.

Combat
Outer golem always fall from the sky, wiping out a great swathe of area before pulling itself out to face the survivors. It then tramples and slams and constricts, destroying buildings and beings with equal fervor. When harmed, an oily liquid bubbles up and coats the area, repairing the damage. Once all has been ground into dust, or whatever other strange instruction have been carried out, it teleports away, perhaps not be seen again for millenia.

An outer golem’s natural weapons are treated as epic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Immunity to Magic (Ex): An outer golem is immune to any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance. Any spell that does not allow spell resistance that is directed at the outer golem or affects an area that it occupies is automatically affected as if by the Wild Magic trait, and allows no concentration check.

In addition, certain spells and effects function differently against the creature, as noted below.

An outer golem takes double damage from a *Nature's Purity spell.

*Lords of Madness, p. 212.

Impact (Ex): An outer golem that strikes the ground travels 10d10 feet into the ground, creating a crater whose width at top is equal to the depth and slopes inwards. All those in this area automatically take 500d6 bludgeoning damage and 100d6 fire damage. No save is allowed unless the target can move a distance equal to the blast radius in a single move action. If such is the case they may attempt a DC 54 reflex save for half damage.

1,000 feet in every direction of this crater is also affected as by an Earthquake spell and tornado force winds. These winds die down to the next lower category each round.

When falling from any distance an outer golem takes only 1 point of damage per die, and is considered to have only fallen half the distance.

An outer golem may only cause impact damage if coming from space.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, an outer golem must hit with a tentacle attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict.

Otherworldly (Ex): An outer golem is immune to all divination spells and clairsentience powers.

Radiate (Ex): Upon landing an outer golem is incredibly hot and literally glows with heat. Any creature within 60 feet automatically takes 20d6 fire damage each round they remain in range. This damage decreases by 1d6 points and the range by 5 feet for every hour since its landing. If the golem hits water its heat remains only for 1 round.

As well, for the first hour after landing the golem is so bright it blinds those within 120 feet unless they succeed on a DC 30 fortitude save for a number of rounds equal to the golem's HD. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Starmetal Body (Ex): An outer golem is considered to be made of starmetal and its attacks deal an additional 1d6 damage against creatures with the extraplanar subtype.

Trample (Ex): As a standard action during its turn each round, the outer golem can literally run over an opponent at least one size category smaller than itself. The trample deals 10d10+34 points of bludgeoning damage. Trampled opponents can either attempt attacks of opportunity at a -4 penalty or Reflex saves (DC 54) for half damage. The DC is Strength-based.

Re: [Epic Creature] To bring about the fall...

Originally Posted by The Vorpal Tribble

There is no treasure for them to keep, and the fluid is made specifically to repair this creature, so kill it and the slime dries up.

Okay, but shouldn't something interesting happen when it dies? It explodes, it disappears, it carves its own tombstone, it leaves behind a mysterious object, something? Otherwise it seems a little anticlimactic.

Re: [Epic Creature] To bring about the fall...

Originally Posted by The Vorpal Tribble

Why is that?

The Grab rules.

Originally Posted by SRD

Unless otherwise noted, improved grab works only against opponents at least one size category smaller than the creature. The creature has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or simply use the part of its body it used in the improved grab to hold the opponent. If it chooses to do the latter, it takes a -20 penalty on grapple checks, but is not considered grappled itself; the creature does not lose its Dexterity bonus to AC, still threatens an area, and can use its remaining attacks against other opponents.

Otherwise known as the "That Damn Crab Isn't Quite As Damned" clause.

How do you mean?

No int score -- but nm, every feature of the Mindless trait is covered by the default Construct type. So no point in noting it.

That cane overcome DR 35, and fast healing 10? I mean, I suppose its possible, but by the time it managed that this thing would have already destroyed most of what it was going after.

Naturally it would be an epic archer -- but basically, a CR 29 creature needs something to counter overland flight. Archer was just an example...

Maximized Acid Arrow (Level 2+3) does 112 damage per cast over 7 rounds at level 18+. Cast it 7 times and over 14 rounds the target takes 644 damage, after fast healing 10. All of which can occur at a range of over 1000'.

As Acid Arrow is a conjuration type spell, you don't get to apply spell resistance, hence it gets through the Golem's spell immunity.

But any ranged attack that can damage the Golem can relatively quickly take it out. Engaging the Golem in melee will do some serious damage, I'll admit.

Probably does need something to allow it to fight fliers. Will think on it.

*nod*, or any long-range mobile attacker. CR 29 means it should destroy a balanced group of 4 L 21 characters, right?

Re: [Epic Creature] To bring about the fall...

Impressive. I like that 500d6 damage crater.

Although, I think the crater would be much wider than it was deep, unless I read that wrong. Could make it go in 3d20 with a radius of 3x it's distance down, or something like that. Craters don't seem to be hemispherical.

Re: [Epic Creature] To bring about the fall...

Originally Posted by Yakk

Naturally it would be an epic archer -- but basically, a CR 29 creature needs something to counter overland flight. Archer was just an example...

Maximized Acid Arrow (Level 2+3) does 112 damage per cast over 7 rounds at level 18+. Cast it 7 times and over 14 rounds the target takes 644 damage, after fast healing 10. All of which can occur at a range of over 1000'.

As Acid Arrow is a conjuration type spell, you don't get to apply spell resistance, hence it gets through the Golem's spell immunity.

I adjusted the spell immunity. Now even if the spell doesn't allow resistance it is as likely to be a problem for the caster as the golem

...what, no creation information?

No one on the planet is capable of making one of these.

Although, I think the crater would be much wider than it was deep, unless I read that wrong. Could make it go in 3d20 with a radius of 3x it's distance down, or something like that. Craters don't seem to be hemispherical.

Was thinking more of a cone.

Isn't the damage for its fall a bit high?

It should do, following the RAW falling object rules, 20d6+320d6 [340d6 or ave. of 1,190 damage]. That is 20d6 max falling plus 1d6 for every 250 pounds it weighs - 80,000 pounds divided by 250 equals 320d6 damage ...

It's actually every 200 pounds you add a 1d6. So technically it should be 420d6. However, it's coming faster than just gravity, so I added a bit extra to round it out at 500d6.

Still trying to think if a realistic way to have it fly and let it maneuver while in space and keep to the theme of the thing.

Re: [Epic Creature] To bring about the fall...

I like a great deal. Overall, really original creature and well thought out design - I might design a vastly depowered version and use them as a prelude to an extraplanar invasion, since that would be fun.

Re: [Epic Creature] To bring about the fall...

Originally Posted by JakStone

I like a great deal. Overall, really original creature and well thought out design - I might design a vastly depowered version and use them as a prelude to an extraplanar invasion, since that would be fun.

Re: [Epic Creature] To bring about the fall...

I've started many campaigns with magic alien invasions (well, psionic aliens, but still), but never thought to do so by dropping an alien golem on the PCs location. Maybe make some CR5 things like this (which I think I'm going to go do now, with a link to attribute them to VT). If you were using one of these guys as the prelude to an alien invasion, i could see that working for an epic campaign, though I'd /HATE/ to meet the aliens that could drop these things. *shudder*

Overcoming fast healing 10 is relatively easy once a few arrows have hit hit.

Note that this isn't about acid arrow as much as it is about "any attack from a reasonable range that can actually harm the target can relatively rapidly kill it". You just have to do more than 45 damage/round (if doing physical damage) or more than 10 damage/round (if your damage bypasses the creature's immunities) by a significant margin.

This is stressed by the fact that approaching this creature is pretty stupid. I suspect that even an L 29 epic fighter would be schooled by the creature in direct combat.

Let's suppose a +10 lance with +6d6 bonus damage from a variety of sources. The L 29 epic fighter has 24 BaB. Let's try a charge+leap based build, with a truestrike buff to make him hit anyhow.

He's also enlarged 2 categories, and has powerful build, so he's using a G sized 2HS.

Re: [Epic Creature] To bring about the fall...

magnificent.

i think it deserves a fly speed and a burrow speed. i think it fits character. flight especially; it's gotta have some way to leave the atmosphere after a mission (though the teleport could do that too...) and to take off towards its next target. maybe even give it a planeshift ability, and some sort of navigation, like a locate object/place/person/fill in the blank ability.

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Re: [Epic Creature] To bring about the fall...

Well, well, quite a neat... Horrible killing doom thingy, if we do say so ourself.

We, however, were half-expecting a golem made out of outerspace itself.

If someone or something managed to defeat it, I would expect some pretty horrific explosions upon death.

Imagine if, when those stormtroopers stopped ol' Obi Wan, and asked about his droids, he bellowed "YES, THESE ARE THE DROIDS YOU ARE LOOKING FOR!! PREPARE TO ENGAGE IN HONORABLE COMBAT!!" and whipped out his lightsabre.